Awakening
by Tie-dyed Trickster
Summary: Ichigo is fast, but he is too far, and Renji is in position and much closer, but he is too slow, and neither of them will reach her in time- The flaming bird falls- In which the events on Sogyoku Hill play out a little differently than they did in the manga, the Hogyoku awakens, and everyone is seriously surprised by what happens next. (cross-posted on AO3)
1. Awakening

Many times over the centuries the Sogyoku has claimed the lives of Soul Society's worst criminals. A handful of times it has stayed its own swing, having deemed its intended victim innocent of their accusations. Now, though, it falls, without mercy, towards the breast of the condemned, and Ichigo is fast, faster with the cloak that has granted him temporary flight, but he is too far, and Renji is in position and much closer, but he is too slow, and neither of them will reach her in time-

The flaming bird falls-

And vanishes into the breast of Rukia Kuchiki, and even before the assembled Shinigami and ryoka can process this there is a blinding flash of light. When everyone can see again, the scaffold is gone, but the form of Rukia still hangs in midair, her hair now as white her prisoner's robe. Slowly she raises her hands, looks at them, flexes her fingers. Then she reaches into the air before her. There is no garganta, no senkaimon, just the faintest of ripples, and then Urahara stands before her, looking stunned and more than a little scared.

Then the being that everyone is beginning to realize is not Rukia speaks.

"Father." Its voice is feminine, but layered, strange but not grating like a hollow's. "Father," this new being says again, reaching out for him, "Why did you throw me away? What have I done wrong?" her hand comes into contact with Urahara's face and he screams. The hand is swiftly removed but at the same time it remains, a small, burning handprint cupping his cheek. The being stares at him, eyes wide, and that's when Ichigo arrives and grabs its shoulders. It looks up at him with wide, luminous grey-white eyes.

"Rukia," he says urgently, shaking her a bit, "Rukia, snap out of it!"

"Ru-ki-a?" the being says, confused, afraid. They are descending now, coming to stand atop Sogyoku Hill, and Renji has come out of hiding but he's on the lip of the circle, daring to come no closer, though he looks like he very much wants to, standing across from the captains and lieutenants, but Ichigo is too focussed on the being in his hands to see him. It continues to stare at him. "I am not Rukia."

"Who are you, then?!" Ichigo snaps, angry and afraid.

"I am Hogyoku," the being says simply, and this must mean more to the crowd than it does to Ichigo because there's a startled collective gasp. Two captains, one with white hair, one in a pink kimono, spin to face an old man with a beard. Several others fall back a few steps, and one with a scarf and hair ornaments looks like he's going to be sick. On the ground where he is crouched, Urahara droops, stilling clutching his burned face.

Hogyoku, however, looks puzzled, and reaches out to Ichigo as it had to Urahara, though its hand stops just short of his face. "You…" it says, its layered voice quiet but carrying, its gaze focussed not on him but on something only it can see, "I remember… we left you behind…"

"I followed," Ichigo says simply, "Like hell I was gonna let Rukia go to her death like that because she saved me! …please, give her back her body."

Hogyoku frowns at him, then smiles. "You are young and foolish. I can see why she likes you."

And it steps backwards, melting out from under his hands, but they aren't left empty. Standing before him, dark-haired, blinking violet eyes, is Rukia, dressed as she was when she first came through his window, her zanpakuto at her side once more, and there's a strangled yelp that sounds like Renji, and a flurry of footsteps that's probably from the same man, but Ichigo's too focussed on Rukia to pay attention to him.

"I-Ichigo?" Rukia whispers, eyes huge, "You're here? You're really here?"

And Ichigo can't help giving a relieved smile, the lines on his forehead smoothing for once, because she's here and she's real. "Yeah."

The blow is so fast he doesn't even see it coming. "YOU IDIOT!" Rukia shrieks, hands on his throat, "I LEFT YOU BEHIND SO THAT YOU'D BE SAFE! HOW IS THIS YOU BEING SAFE, HUH?!"

"F-fine show of gratitude th-that is-" Ichigo wheezes, but then they're interrupted by a giggle and turn to see Hogyoku watching them, hands over its mouth but not quite hiding a smile. It lowers its hands as they look at it, flexes its fingers again, and turns to Urahara.

"Father, this gigai you made – I think I'll keep it. I like being awake."

OoOoOoOoO

Many things happen after that. Ichigo and his friends are reunited. The truth of the Hogyoku and of Rukia's execution comes out. It turns out that Byakuya used to be a bit of a firebrand in his youth and that decades of Kuchiki propriety hasn't quite smothered that spark yet, because he gets so angry when he hears Urahara's role in all this that he doesn't even bother drawing Senbonzakura, just tries to strangle the man with his bare hands. Aizen approaches Hogyoku and tries to lure it under his influence, then discovers that this was a mistake.

Unlike Rukia and Urahara, Aizen doesn't survive his encounter with it. Afterwards, Gin shakes Hogyoku's hand, uncaring of the burns, then surrenders himself to the authorities. Hogyoku also reveals that it serves only one master, and that it's already chosen said master. The Captain Commander nearly has a fit when he finds out who this is.

Urahara is taken to the fourth division to have his burn tended to, and asks Unohana not to heal it all the way (to serve as a reminder of his hubris). Unohana smiles serenely and says she hadn't planned to. Renji apologies to Rukia, Rukia apologies to Kukaku and Ganju, and the Gotei 13 makes Ichigo an _official_ substitute Shinigami, and Soul Society in general is forced to come to terms with the fact that it's got a newborn ascended being running around that it can't really control…

OoOoOoOoO

 _That's it for now. I've got some snippets written that are set in this universe, but it's not going to be a fully-fledged fic with an on-going plot – more like elaborations of some of the scenes touched upon briefly here, and a few others I felt like writing. They'll get posted as I type them up. Hope you enjoyed!_

 _Note: I got the impression from some fics I've read that, when Ichigo temporarily became an ascended being, other people couldn't touch his bare skin without being burned, so I'm running with it in regards to the Hogyoku. In regards to what Hogyoku can do… I'm going with 'it's the frickin' hogyoku. What_ _ **can't**_ _it do?!' Because why not? ;)_


	2. Firebrand Rekindled

"YOU ARROGANT, THOUGHTLESS, _JUVENILE-_ "

Urahara's explanation of his actions is initially met with silence. Then there is an explosion. It comes from a rather unexpected source.

"MY SISTER! THE ONE THING I TRULY HAVE LEFT OF HISANA AND YOU-"

The older generation is looking on with a certain amount of bemusement. They have been around for centuries, millennia, and there have been wagers going on as to when, exactly, the firebrand deep within Byakuya's soul would flare to life again – for one who had been so passionate, they had known it would be but a matter of time. Those of an age with Byakuya are surprised – they had thought this aspect of their colleague had been set aside with his marriage and then that it had died with Hisana.

The youngest generation is flabbergasted. Byakuya has worked very hard over the decades to become a model noble, and he's done a good job of it. They hadn't even known this side of him _existed_. Most of them still stare in shock as he shakes the ex-twelfth division head, though Renji is cheering his captain enthusiastically and encouraging him to adjust the position of his hands a bit because he's never going to strangle the bastard like that.

Byakuya ignores him, or possibly can't hear him over the sheer levels of rage coursing through him at the moment – and they have to be some pretty extreme levels, considering he hasn't even attempted to draw Senbonzakura.

When the crowd finally decides to do something, it takes Kyoraku, Komamura, and Tosen to pull the captain of the sixth off of Urahara, who has begun to turn blue. Byakuya has lost several of his hair ornaments by this point, and his haori is mussed, with dirt ground into the hem where he was unconsciously kneeling on it. Urahara remains on the ground where he was dropped, having decided that playing dead is the better part of valour. Byakuya sneers at the man, straightens his haori with a huff when he is released, and stalks off.

Rukia watches him go at first with huge eyes and one hand to her mouth. She had not thought-

Then a hand to the small of her back sends her stumbling forwards. She turns to see Renji with one arm outstretched and Ichigo staring at her with a raised eyebrow. He makes a gesture that clearly states 'well, go on, dumbass.' She gives him a withering look, but turns and runs after the man whom it seems cares about her far more than she ever suspected, towards a conversation about promises and a sincere, if stiff, apology (because one moment of weakness doesn't mean Byakuya's turning his back on who he's become (or, at least, not entirely)).

Renji is inordinately smug, to the point where his drinking buddies feel compelled to point out that Kuchiki still has a stick up his ass and is not nearly as awesome as Kenpachi. It is a less effective argument than they had hoped.

OoOoOoOoO

 _First of the extra scenes/snippets/drabbles/what-have-yous. Some are short like this, others are closer to the length of the first fic._

 _In regards to Tosen: I hate him. He is a hypocritical rat-bastard, and I hate him. However at this point in the story his treachery has yet to be revealed, so he's here and he's being helpful, so as not to blow his cover. His exposure is one of the scenes I haven't written yet in any form, but have every intention of doing so. Because I like_ _ **Aizen**_ _more than I like Tosen._


	3. If Wishes Were Horses

If Wishes Were Horses

"They won't accept you, you know."

Hogyoku looks curiously at the brown-haired man with kind eyes. It had wandered away while the rest of the crowd dealt with the revelations of its creator and the truth of Rukia's execution. That was when the two captains had found it – the one with glasses and the one with silver hair.

"Who won't?" it asks, surprised.

The brown-haired man's smile grows a little sad. "The other shinigami. Central 46. Soul Society in general. They are incapable of tolerating anything different, anything that threatens their way of life."

Hogyoku cocks its head to the side. "You are a shinigami, though, a captain. How are you any different?"

The man spreads his hands. "I embrace change – I hope to lead Soul Society from its cycle of endless stagnation and into a bright future. But to do that I need your help. Will you join me?"

OoOoOoOoO

Aizen watches from a distance as the hogyoku interacts with his illusion and smiles. An all-powerful being it might be, but it is also, in many ways, like a newborn child, innocent of the world, easy to manipulate. Now it bites its lip, fingers the fiery orange sheath of the sword it had manifested itself not long ago, no doubt imitating the shinigami who surround it,

"But… I have done nothing wrong."

His illusion smiles, sad and warm and paternal. "That will not matter to them. They will see you merely as a tool that has gained a will of its own somehow – a dangerous weapon to be chained and contained."

"And tricked?"

He frowns a bit. The thing seems to be looking past his illusion and Gin now, at where he is truly standing. But this is impossible – it is in a gigai, a living body, and there are none who can withstand his hypnosis. Still, he pours a little more power into it, just to be safe.

"Yes. False promises are the basis of Soul Society."

"So they will steal this body from me, and attempt to bind me to their will?"

"Almost certainly."

Its shoulders are drooping, he has it. The illusion's smile warms just a little and reaches out to put a hand on the false being's shoulder.

"And are those the intentions of Soul Society… or of you, Sousuke Aizen?" the hogyoku looks up and its eyes are cold now, and locked directly on him as it walks through his illusion like mist, past the startled Gin to stand before him. "I see the dreams in your heart, lonely false god. I see the blood on your hands and the stains on your soul. I know what you have done. I know what you intend to do – to me, to Soul Society."

Aizen smiles as it puts its hand on the bone-white hilt of its sword. "Are you sure you want to do this? I would be a kind master."

"I serve only one master – it will never be you." The hogyoku's voice is like ice as it draws its blade.

Aizen sighs and unsheathes his zanpakuto. "I had hoped to avoid this. But if you will not join me willingly, then I have no choice but to cut you from that gigai."

"That will not happen."

He allows himself a slightly superior smile. "I see no way it cannot. You are powerful, but you are simply a created being with a sword you made, facing a shinigami captain with a fully mastered zanpakuto."

The hogyoku tilts its head. "I did not make this – it was given to me. And it is as real a zanpakuto as yours." Its stance shifts, preparing to stab. "Pronounce Judgement, Sogyoku."

Aizen is a master manipulator, and there are few outcomes he does not have at least a vague contingency for. The hogyoku manifesting as a sentient being was one of them. And he had _definitely_ not prepared for the possibility of the hogyoku becoming the wielder of the Sogyoku. He is still staring in shock as the blade of the naginata the zanpakuto has become pierces his chest.

"May the next life be better." The layered voice of the hogyoku is quiet, and its eyes… _regretful_ as it shifts its grip a little. "Enact Justice."

Its eyes do not leave his as ghostly flames spread from the Sogyoku and, for Sousuke Aizen, the world goes dark for the last time.

OoOoOoOoO

Gin watches in shock as Aizen collapses with a sigh, his reiatsu gone. The being – Hogyoku – watches, eyes shadowed, as the Sogyoku once again becomes a katana. And, as Aizen falls, so too do all the illusions.

Including those that Aizen did not create.

Gin is only half surprised to find himself standing on Sogyoku Hill, surrounded by his former colleagues. Slowly he raises his hands and claps, smiling as Hogyoku turns to him.

"Very impressive. I suppose I'm next?" his words are bold, but his heart aches. This being took Aizen down like it was nothing. He… really doesn't stand a chance – not like this, surrounded by his former colleagues as he is. "If it's not too cheeky, I don't suppose I could shake your hand before you kill me?"

He's surprised when the being walks over and extends a small hand to him. The watching shinigami are silent as he takes it, and he can't suppress a wince as he does so because it burns like a brand, but he holds on, bowing over it. "Thank-you." It takes an effort to let go – he's badly burned, it's doubtful he'll ever wield a sword again without extensive treatment, but it's a small price to pay for what he's done. And he's going to die soon anyway, so it doesn't really matter.

Hogyoku tilts its head at him as he retracts his arm, not clutching his burnt hand to his chest by sheer force of will. "I see the dreams in your heart as well, Ichimaru Gin. They taste sweet." Its strange voice is gentle, though not falsely so like Aizen's. It sheathes the Sogyoku and smiles at him. "I think we will be good friends."

There is a profound silence for a moment. And then-

"What is the meaning of this?!"

Gin winces as Captain-Commander Yamamoto strides forward to glare at Gin and Hogyoku, his reiatsu rising high enough to make the nearby lieutenants wince.

Hogyoku doesn't appear to notice. "I'm talking to Gin. You should probably take him to Unohana along with Father – they're hurt."

"They are traitors to Soul Society!"

Hogyoku snorts. "You're just being pissy because they figured out about Aizen before you did."

…Gin is going to treasure the face Yamamoto makes at being told he's 'being pissy' for the rest of his extremely short existence.

"Besides," Hogyoku continues, "Father says you shouldn't kill the smart ones out of hand – that's how you end up surrounded by idiots."

Gin is having a hard time keeping a straight face now, though the Captain-Commander's growing rage is helping with that somewhat. It's only with an effort the old man calms himself, though Gin can see the fury still boiling beneath the surface.

"Ichimaru Gin will be tried for his actions, as would any other criminal," Yamamoto states in a tone that still makes some captains flinch, and he walks towards Hogyoku, one hand held out, "In the meantime, you will return the Sogyoku and relinquish that gigai until such a time as a new Central 46 can be formed and a decision made as to what is to be done with you."

Hogyoku chews its lip lightly while looking up and away, considering. Then it returns its gaze to the most powerful shinigami in Soul Society and smiles brightly. "No."

" _ **No**_?!" Yamamoto looks torn between rage and shock over the fact that he has been disobeyed- no, directly defied.

"No." Hogyoku repeats firmly, one hand coming to a rest of the red-orange sheath of the Sogyoku, "You gifted this blade to me, and the weight of it is pleasant in my hand. And it's rude to demand the return of gifts, even those given in malice. As for this gigai, I have already made my intentions for it clear. If you had not wished me to inhabit it, you should not have placed me in it in the first place, nor left me within for so long."

"That was Urahara's doing!" the Captain-Commander thunders, and several lower-ranked shinigami, including Renji and Rukia, whom Hogyoku steadies as she bumps into it, and even Ichigo falls to his knees at the weight of reiatsu. "You are a tool, and you will obey me!"

Hogyoku's eyes narrow, blue and violet flames dancing in them dangerously now. "Be wary, Captain-Commander," it says, its layered voice rippling, "And keep a mind to those around you. I am Hogyoku, the King's Jewel, and I serve but one master. As it was not Aizen, nor is it you. Be wary, old man, for silencing the stale dreams of your heart will cause me no grief."

"Then who is this master of yours?" Yamamoto growls, though he restrains himself and his reiatsu enough that everyone can breathe without gasping again.

Hogyoku tilts its head and smiles at him. "Why don't we make a bet about it, Captain-Commander? A bet for the life of Ichimaru Gin."

Gin is suddenly _very_ invested in this conversation.

"A bet?" Yamamoto growls, obviously unpleased with the situation but unable to do anything about it, "Of what sort?"

"Simple," Hogyoku replies, cheerful again, "If Gin can guess who my master is, you have to be fair with him, and take into account the motivations of his actions as opposed to simply striking him down in place of Aizen. If he cannot, I will not interfere with your will in this matter."

Yamamoto narrows his eyes, then smiles as well. "I agree to this, on the terms that he has only one guess."

"Done!" Hogyoku says, turning to Gin. "Well, then? Who do you think I answer to, Gin?"

And Gin would be extremely annoyed about all this, except that he resigned himself to a traitor's death decades ago.

Oh, and also because it's a really obvious answer.

He's honestly a little shocked no one else has figured it out yet. He makes a show of considering his answer, though – no point in antagonizing Yamamoto more than he already is. After what feels like the appropriate amount of time, he turns to the old shinigami and smiles. "Sir, the master of the Hogyoku is Rukia Kuchiki."

"Ridiculous," Yamamoto snaps at the same time Hogyoku beams.

"Yes!"

"WHAT?!" Yamamoto roars and all attention is now on the Kuchiki girl, who looks as shell-shocked as any of them, "How can this be?!"

Hogyoku shrugs. "Is she not the one I was freely given to? She who gave her freedom and offered her life in the place of her friends? She who faced unjust death with no hate and no anger, but simply peace?"

Yamamoto makes an angry sound. "How could the traitor Gin have known who you served without your help?"

"Sir, if I may," Gin interjects smoothly, because the future's looking a lot longer than it did a few minutes ago and while he's resigned to death he's also open to other options, "Any help I received was inadvertent. I merely noticed that, of all of us Hogyoku has touched, only Miss Kuchiki has remained unburnt."

"Just so," Hogyoku nods as all eyes are drawn to where it still holds the hand it grasped to steady Rukia earlier. Then it turns and kneels before her, now clasping her hand between both of its own, expression earnest. "I have done as you dreamed, my master; I have ended this with no needlessly spilt blood, your friends and family safe, and the root of it all destroyed. What would you have me do now? The dreams in your heart are so many… Shall I refashion the world to be more to your liking? Shall I lay waste to Hueco Mundo? Shall I set you upon the throne the false god wished to claim for his own? Name your desire, my master, and it is yours."

Gin watches the Kuchiki girl in tense silence along with the rest of the assembled shinigami. What will she do? This girl who they have wronged, who was nearly killed for the crimes of others, and who has just had nigh infinite power dropped in her lap. He sees the emotions passing through her eyes and, as a fellow child of the Rukongai, he thinks he knows some of what she's thinking. There is so much wrong with Soul Society, so many places the system is broken, so many things that could be better. And here is a being who kneels before her with a glad heart, requiring only a word to erase this broken world and replace it with a newer one, a _better_ one…

Finally the troubled emotions leave her eyes, replaced by calm resolve, and she covers Hogyoku's hands with her free one. "I think," she says, "I want you to let us clean up our own mess. Help us if we need it, but… we need to change the world for ourselves. We can do it," she glances at where Ichigo and Renji stand side by side and smiles, "I know we can do it," she repeats, turning back to Hogyoku, "And it will mean more if we do it with our own hands as much as we can. That is my dream."

Hogyoku blinks wide eyes at her. Then its expression goes warm and it sighs in contentment. "My master is wise. Very well – I shall stand back until such times as I must step in."

And in the silence that follows, Gin laughs. Because the Kuchiki girl has just given a nigh omnipotent being leave to do pretty much whatever it sees fit, and there's a good chance he might live to see the results, and he has a feeling that things are going to be pretty interesting around here from now on.

OoOoOoOoO

Later, after Captain Kuchiki has ruined the image he's been trying to maintain for decades, it's Gin who's wearing a prisoner's robe and sitting in a cell, his hand heavily bandaged (the ryoka girl had offered to heal it for him, but he had turned her down), and a faint grin on his face. While not great, his future looks nowhere _near_ as bleak as it had. He's been stripped of his rank, yes, and his zanpakuto (no surprise), and he's been fitted with reiatsu restraints to keep his power in check, but he's not dead. Scheduled to serve a _lot_ of time, yes, but not dead. There's even the chance that he might get back Shinsou's physical vessel one day, if he continues to be helpful and not cause trouble.

He tucks his good hand behind his head and lays back on his cot. Considering that the only outcome to all this he'd ever foreseen for himself was a traitor's death, things have worked out extremely well. If only…

"Hey."

A finger pokes him in the side, and if the sudden, silent arrival of another person in his cell hadn't been a dead give-away of who is with him, that simple greeting would have been. He opens one eye to look up at Hogyoku. "You have a very distinctive voice, you know that?"

"Yes." Hogyoku is watching him. It has yet to replace the prisoner's garb it was wearing when it first awoke, but it still looks out of place here in the cell.

"Much as I appreciate you helping me, you probably shouldn't be here," he says, tone one of friendly advice, "Why are you here, anyway?"

It tilts its head and smiles. "Because today, Rukongai boy, you ride."

Then it holds out its hand and both of Gin's eyes fly wide open as he sits up, staring at the thing Hogyoku is offering him. "That's not-?"

"It is."

Hogyoku tips the ball of pink energy into his left hand, careful not to brush him with its burning skin. He cups it to his chest, protective, eyes still wide. There is a quiet, echoing giggle and, when he looks up, Hogyoku is gone. He looks down again, half expecting the energy to be gone as well but it's still there, tucked safely in his hand-

"Oi!"

He looks up just in time for something to smack him between the eyes. He blinks, shakes his head, stares at his assailant.

"You know, it really does take a smart man to do something quiet this stupid." Rangiku Matsumoto leans against the bars of his cell, tossing another dried persimmon in her hand, ready to throw. She raises an eyebrow at him. "You'd better have a damn good explanation, Ichimaru."

He winces, because she only calls him 'Ichimaru' when she is well and truly pissed at him, but at the same time he can't stop smiling as he stands and walks over to the bars, his left hand and its precious cargo still held close to his chest.

The future might not be great, but that's okay, because this moment?

This moment is perfect.

OoOoOoOoO

 _To anyone who thinks Hogyoku is OP in this… again, it's the freaking Hogyoku. It's entire purpose is to be OP as heck, as far as I can tell, and I see no reason for sentience to change this. Also Hogyoku really didn't give Gin any help during the bet._

 _It_ _ **did**_ _, however, know he'd already figured out the answer before it suggested the terms._

 _Gin is a character who has impressed me ever since I found out the true scope of his plan and just how long he's been onto Aizen and working to take him down, all on his own. A motivation that began because he saw Aizen hurt someone Gin didn't even know yet. So it made me sad that I've never seen him succeed in his goal of returning to Matsumoto the energy Aizen stole from her, even in stories._

 _Rukia seems the natural master of the Hogyoku to me. I've seen many people give it to Ichigo but, honestly, that boy doesn't need any more power or responsibility, he needs some properly supportive allies, formal training, and some serious therapy for PTSD amongst other things. Rukia's been getting kicked basically this entire arc for something that wasn't in any way her fault, she works extremely hard to do the right thing in the arcs I've seen her in, and her backstory is just ouch. It's her turn to call the shots for awhile._

 _I have three more stories written for this crazy universe – let's see when I manage to type them up._


	4. Not the Same

Not the Same

 _Note: Contains very strong implications of future Ichigo/Rukia/Renji_

People say Rukia and Hogyoku are identical, because Hogyoku's body was Rukia's gigai, so other than the pale eyes and white hair, they're alike as two peas in a pod, but Renji knows better.

Beyond the hair and eyes, Hogyoku is simply paler than Rukia – its skin makes her look positively rosy by comparison. Its face is rounder, too, with wider eyes even when Rukia's not using that look the Kuchikis taught her.

Under the guidance of her adopted family Rukia learned to make her face a mask that concealed everything, but even before that Rukia was fairly reserved in regards to what her face gave away; she hides her emotions in her eyes. There had been a time when Renji could read her eyes better than any book, but it's a skill that faded over their many years of separation (though one he's picking up again with gratifying speed). Hogyoku, in turn, is animated and expressive, rarely bothering to hide anything. It frowns deeply and laughs loudly and, even when it tries to hide its frequent mirth, its eyes dance with blue-violet fire, and it has to hold its hands to its mouth to hide the smile there. Honestly, Renji's still finding it a little unnerving to see such vivid expressions on a face so similar to Rukia's.

It's more than just appearance, though. For all that she's been taught to be tidy about it now, Rukia still eats very swiftly, a tell to those who know to look for it of her Rukongai childhood, where food was scarce and had to be eaten before it was (re)stolen. In contrast, Hogyoku is very slow about eating – it doesn't technically need to and has only had the ability for a short time, so it really savors each morsel it consumes.

And, for all that it has a zanpakuto (and what a zanpakuto!), and knows how to use it, Hogyoku is an inelegant swordsman, lacking the grace Rukia instinctively carries herself with. Perhaps it's not fair to judge it on this, since Hogyoku is still very young in many ways, and maybe it will grow into grace, but it's always been amazing to watch Rukia move. Even when they were brats, even before they were friends, Renji was always impressed at the way the tiny girl could move.

There's countless other details that have changed as well – small differences, things you'd only be able to notice if you know Rukia like Renji. If you love her like he does…

"I don't get it," Ichigo complains one day as they take a break from sparring.

Renji looks in the direction Ichigo's facing in time to see Rukia turn away sharply, pretending like she hasn't been watching them from where she's doing paperwork under a tree (the weather being so nice and Aizen's defeat being so recent, everyone's being a little less… strict about certain rules lately). Hogyoku, in contrast, beams and waves at them, its clothes a bright contrast to the darker tones Rukia prefers, then goes back to sticking little flowers in its master's hair. Renji turns back to Ichigo, and the guy's turned out to be a better person than he'd first thought, so his tone is more civil than it might once have been. "What don't you get?"

"Those two," Ichigo gestures at the two women, "Everyone's always going on about how they're like inverse mirror images of each other or something, but they're not _that_ similar. They're more like Karin and Yuzu than identical twins. I thought you shinigami were supposed to be observant."

And that's the moment Renji realizes that Ichigo loves Rukia, too. It's also the moment he realizes that that's okay. Because if Ichigo's noticed this when the rest of Soul Society's missed it… he obviously loves Rukia as much as Renji does. And Rukia deserves to be loved – for all that she's been through, for all that she is, she deserves to be loved like that, seen like that, no matter who she choses in the end.

So Renji just grins at Ichigo, pushing his headband higher up on his forehead. "I know what you mean."

And across the courtyard, Hogyoku watches and smiles as a little more of the remaining animosity between the two men crumbles and falls away unnoticed, and a quiet dream shared in three hearts begins to grow that much brighter for it.

OoOoOoOoO

 _I know it's not canon – honestly, the end!ships for canon surprised me, I was expecting it to wind up Rukia/Ichigo, and I was rather pleased at the surprise (and especially at those two kids, gods, its like each of them combines all the cutest aspects of their parents)! Nevertheless, this is my little pet Bleach poly!ship, so naturally it got slipped in here._


	5. To Live

To Live

 _(Modded Kon's backstory a little for this, though it doesn't really make much of a difference in the long run)_

He sits on a shelf with his family, that is, the others like him, a group of inanimate objects that are, in truth, anything but. They are mod souls, warriors created to fight alongside the shinigami in battle against hollows, and they're excited, whispering to each other thanks to the abilities of the Hear-and-Speaks on levels only they can comprehend. Some of them are newer, some are older, but they are all excited, eager to do their jobs, and they talk about how they'll fight, wonder how the world will look from inside a human body, what they'll do when they aren't fighting. They don't know much about non-fighting activities, to be honest – their inherent knowledge is mostly battle-related. From what they overhear when the shinigami talk, though, spending time with the opposite sex is considered a highly desirable activity, so they mostly plan to do that (once they find out what a 'sex' is (and how to opposite one)).

Sometimes a presence whispers among them, strange and large, aware and yet not. They call it Dream, and everyone is quiet when it's around, even though it never really does anything other than be present. And Dream's comings and goings are the only real way to mark the passage of time as they sit on their shelves in their room, waiting for the future to come.

FastJump wants the future to be _now_. He was created to move, to duck and weave and twist and finally leap to slash his enemy with the sword he'll one day have, to kick and to run, and sitting still doesn't suit him, even in his semi-dormant capsule form. BreakingPunch laughs at him about it, and ReiatsuMeasure councils him patience, but he can't help it, he wants tomorrow to be today. He's got plans, he's going to be an _amazing_ ally, he's going to purify so many hollows, and he's already decided that he's a he, even if most of his friends don't really care about pronouns yet. The future's exciting and the present involves a whole lot of Not Fighting Hollows, so why shouldn't he be impatient? And the day when the first box of his family is taken away he's so excited, because it can only mean that the future is _here_ and they're finally being called on, they're finally going to get real bodies and _fight_ , and he wishes he was closer to the front so he could go sooner.

Then the first Hear-and-Speak screams, and all the excitement vanishes as OtherHearAndTalk, who had been in the batch taken, cries out in horror.

' _They're killing us, they're killing us, the shinigami are_ _ **killing us**_ _!'_

And then FastJump is glad that he's tucked away in a corner, because the future is here and it's not what he'd wanted at all.

OoOoOoOoO

The worst part is that there's nothing any of them can do about it. Without bodies, not even the Hear-and-Speaks can communicate with the shinigami, beg them to stop, to know what they could possibly have done wrong. And it gets worse when the last of the Hear-and-Speaks are gone, because now the remaining mod souls can't even talk to each other, only sit, trapped, helpless, awaiting death.

FastJump does not take his predicament gracefully. He screams and yells and begs for someone, _anyone_ to listen, to help them, he doesn't want to die! Killing them like this, it isn't right! But, at the same time, he know that no one will listen, no one will care. He is a mod soul, a created being. Who would help someone who isn't even real?

Still he rallies, because he can't find it in himself to give up. He's so caught up in his railing that he doesn't notice the other presence until it giggles. Then he shuts up pretty darn fast, because Dream has appeared from wherever it appears from, and it feels like it's _watching_ him. This theory is proven correct a few moments later when, for the first time ever, Dream speaks.

' _You are a passionate one,'_ it says, voice soft and sleepy and rippling through him, _'You woke me up a little. Or are you asleep, too?'_

' _I'm not asleep, I'm awake!'_ FastJump snaps, more terrified than he's ever been, _'Please don't hurt me!'_

' _Huuurrrrrt~?'_ Dream sing-songs, like it doesn't quite understand the concept, _'Wasn't it something else you wanted?'_

' _Well I want to not die, obviously,'_ he says, terror and imminent death making him bold.

Dream giggles again. _'No, no – that's too small… you are a dreamer… so very, very many… but no time for little dreams… sleepy…'_

FastJump can feel Dream fading away, and suddenly it comes to him that maybe Dream can help him, maybe this is his answer- _'I want to fight!'_ he says, _'The power to slay my enemies!'_

' _Too small…'_ Dream says, growing more distant, _'Too small…'_

And his chance is fading and there _must_ be an answer, but he doesn't know what it is and what **does** he want? What does he dream of, truly? Not simply surviving, not even killing or revenge, but-

' _I WANT TO LIVE!'_ he yells, desperate and scared, _'I WANT TO_ _ **LIVE**_ _!'_

And Dream is back fully now, perhaps more present than it has ever been. _'_ _ **That**_ _is a very big dream indeed.'_

For one instant he can feel Dream's entire focus on him and it is _**vast**_ , and then it fades away, dragging him with it.

' _Sleep with me awhile, little one…'_

And FastJump fades away, leaving behind a being that thinks only of being useful and talking proper care of a gigai and blending in while their shinigami works. An actual shinigami notices it and grumbles about some idiot mixing a soul candy in with the mod souls before putting it where it's 'supposed' to be, grumbling all the while that he can't wait until the last of those creepy things are destroyed. It's not until over a hundred years later that the soul candy is finally used, and FastJump smiles as the orange-haired idiot goes off to fight.

As for FastJump, well… He's got a body, a real one, not just a gigai, and he's free. He's going to see what this 'life' thing is all about.

-Present Day-

"Get up! Oi, get up!"

Kon grumbles a bit and curls up tighter in the drawer he's snoozing in. It's just Ichigo, after all, and Ichigo's a jerk, because he has that stupid badge now and doesn't need Kon's help anymore, which means Kon doesn't get to do much of anything these days, not even leave Ichigo's boring old room. Whatever the teen wants him for, he can work for it.

"Dammit, Kon, where are you!?"

Kon smirks to himself. Ichigo's dumb, too – he's on the wrong side of the room. Kon switched snoozing spots months ago. Sure, the substitute shinigami's going to be pissed as hell when he eventually finds him, and Kon's going to suffer for it, but oh freaking well. He's got his newest swimsuit magazine well hidden – let Ichigo do his worst.

Then footsteps approach his dresser and his drawer starts to move and, dammit, Ichigo must be getting smarter. Kon tenses, ready to run for it, when someone giggles.

…he knows that giggle. He's only heard it once, but it's a very distinctive giggle, and it was a rather memorable occasion. But- it can't be. That- It had been-

"Why are you hiding, FastJump? I thought you wanted to live."

Kon _vaults_ out of the drawer to gape at the people in the room. There's Ichigo, of course, and big sis Rukia, looking as cute as ever, and- another big sis Rukia, with white hair and funny eyes and a bright red choker. New big sis Rukia looks at him, then covers her mouth slightly with a bright yukata sleeve and giggles. He can feel his eyes bugging out.

" _Dream_?!"

She lowers her hand and smiles. "Hello, FastJump."

" _FastJump_?" Ichigo's got an eyebrow raised and big sis Rukia's looking between Kon and Dream with a startled expression.

"You _know_ each other?!"

Dream tilts its head to the side. "Of course. Why did you think I wanted to see him?"

" _FastJump_?" Ichigo repeats, starting to look way too amused by this bit of information.

Kon glares at him. "Yeah, _FastJump_. Us mod souls didn't have proper names, so we called each other based on what we were made to do – and it's better than 'Strawberry.'"

"It's 'first guardian,' dammit!"

"Both of you shut up!" big sis Rukia brings her fists down on both their heads simultaneously, then turns to Dream. "Hogyoku, how do you know Kon?"

Dream – Hogyoku? – smiles. "Even before I was awake, I was not entirely unaware – knowing yet not knowing. Sometimes I wandered a little, though I couldn't go far. There was a place I liked, full of tiny specks of light. Some were brighter than others. The last time I saw them, one grew so bright, so full of dreams, that I woke up, just a little." She stands up from where she's been perched on the bed and walks over to Kon, gently pushing Ichigo out of the way with a bandage-wrapped hand. "I remember you, little one. Last time I was too asleep to do it properly, but now I am awake. I see the dreams in your heart, Kon. They taste vast."

And she reaches out and her hand goes into his belly, grasping the little capsule that is truly _him_ , pulling him out before he can protest and _dropping him_ , and the world _contorts_ and then-

-then he catches himself on his hands and knees with a bump, and in an instant he's on his feet, shouting. "What's the big idea, huh?! You don't just grab someone and _drop them_ like that! What if I'd rolled into one of the floor vents?! I'd have been- I'd… have…"

He stutters to a halt, partially because Hogyoku's got a bemused look on her face but mostly because he's pointing a finger at her. And… it's not one of his lion claws, it's an actual _finger_ , attached to an actual _hand_ , and _he has hands_ , dark-skinned and neat and so much more useful than paws. He stares and his throat goes tight, he _has_ a throat to go tight, then looks down. There's a torso, mostly hidden by a blue-green yukata. Bare feet with long toes stick out from under it, and he can't see them but he can _feel_ his legs, strong, _powerful_. They'll send him faster and higher than his lion legs, or maybe even Ichigo's. Trembling a bit, he raises his hands to feel his face. Nose, lips, ears, long-ish hair, eyes that are starting to burn as his throat gets even tighter. Slowly he looks up at Hogyoku.

"If this is a trick, it's not funny."

She tilts her head to the side and smiles at him. "No trick – just a promise fulfilled."

"And- and this body?" he looks down at his hands, back at her, "It's mine? It's not going to go away?"

"Not unless you decide to enter the cycle of reincarnation."

Kon stares at her a moment longer. Then he launches himself at her, only he's not used to his new legs yet and he over does it, sending them both crashing to the floor, but he doesn't care, just hugs her and sobs. "Thank-you thank-you thank-you…"

She laughs and pets his hair (his hair, _his_ , not someone else's, not some borrowed body, _his_ ) and pushes them both into a sitting position. "Careful, don't touch my skin or you'll be burned," she admonishes.

" 'kay," he grins and wipes his eyes with one fist, "Hey, maybe now I can get a girlfriend!"

"Maybe now you can get a life," Ichigo grumbles, but he also sounds someone stunned, so there's less bite to it than there could be and, besides… he's right. And Kon just can't find it in himself to be offended because of this, because for once Ichigo being right is the best thing in the world.

OoOoOoOoO

Later, when the whole 'holy crap, I have a body!' shock has died down some, Kon gets a proper look at himself, at his face ( _his_ face). It's a bit similar to Yoruichi's in shape, and he's got huge black eyes and dark blue hair that falls smooth to his shoulders and makes a bit of a fringe on his forehead. It's one of those faces that's hard to pin down in terms of actual age – could be anywhere between eighteen and thirty. He's also extremely cute. Kon would have preferred handsome, but he supposes he can work with cute (girls are _very_ fond of cute things, after all), especially since it turns out he's approximately the same height as Rukia.

"How come I'm so short?" he asks Hogyoku curiously when he notices, "Wouldn't tall make more sense – longer legs and all?"

Hogyoku shakes her head. "Small is better for you, for two reasons. First, you're compact and light – you'll go faster and farther with less effort."

Kon thinks about this for a moment, then nods. Fair enough. "Okay, makes sense. And the second reason?"

She winks at him. "I think I'll let you discover that one on your own!"

He finds out the second reason the first time he meets Lieutenant Matsumoto in his new form.

"Uwa~ you're so _adorable_!" the enthusiastic shinigami gushes, glomping onto him. And since he's also pretty close to Captain Hitsugaya in height, well…

Suffice to say, Kon has fully grasped the advantages of being short.

OoOoOoOoO

 _Do you remember the very first time you read/watched Bleach? I do. I remember the arc where Kon was introduced for the first time, before he was even called 'Kon.' And I remember being_ _ **so excited**_ _by his character concept – a created being who values life so highly that he'll protect ants and refuses to kill, based on his experiences in the past wherein everyone else like him was killed simply for existing? And he's a bit of a show-off and a goof? Sign me the heck up, YEAH! …aaaaand then he turned into a perverted gag character. And I never really got over that, or how he never really got a chance to become much more than that even when Ichigo got that badge and Kon's existence became pretty much pointless._

 _So, in this universe at least, I'm going to give him the potential to be more – let him socialize and learn and_ _ **grow**_ _in the way he never got to in canon. Is he still going to be a bit of a perv? Probably, but some people are, and he'll likely learn to curb his tendencies eventually. As for what he's going to do, there's two options at this point. The first is that he returns to Soul Society and work as a messenger or a runner for the 4_ _th_ _division or something else useful that requires you to be quick (that or he will act as a meat shield for Hitsugaya in regards to Matsumoto (which would work for everyone – Matsumoto has someone small and cute to glomp, Kon gets consensual exposure to breasts at point-blank range, and Hitsugaya can get on with his life)). The other option is that he'll stay in the human world for a bit longer and act as a sentry of sorts – patrolling the town while Ichigo's in school for hollows or spirits that are unable to move on, so that Ichigo can get there faster when he does need to intervene._

 _For those wondering, Kon's body is like a regular shinigami's, as opposed to a human's._

 _You're kind of a twit in canon, Kon, but here, at least, you can be the character I wanted you to be._

 _Hogyoku doesn't really care about pronouns, and cheerfully refers to itself as an 'it' when called upon for such things. The rest of soul society tends to be a little uncomfortable using 'it' for such a powerful, sentient being, however, and tend to default to 'she,' since its body was Rukia's gigai. Hogyoku is amused by this._


	6. Not Alone

Not Alone

Starrk doesn't move when the finger pokes him. It's probably just Lilynette again, trying to get him to move, and the crook of the tree he's nestled in is comfortable. She'll have to work harder than that to make him move-

He pauses. Frowns. Lilynette's reiatsu is some distance away, digging for the corpses of hollow lizards in the mounds of sand and dead hollows that surround them. There are no other spiritual pressures nearby, but something had definitely just poked him. He opens one eye.

A young woman is watching him. Her hair is white and her skin is pale, and her thin robe is washed pale by the moon. Thus the only true colour to her is the blue-violet fire dancing in her pale eyes and the collar at her throat, which is an especially vivid red even in the eternal moonlight of Hueco Mundo. She is watching him intently and smiles when she sees him looking back. "Hello."

Her voice is strange, full of ripples and echoes, and the sound of it brings Lilynette scurrying over, aggressive and growling.

"Who are you?! What do you want!" She launches a kick attack at the stranger and, well, that's another hollow dead.

Except it isn't, because the young woman catches Lilynette's foot and easily uses the girl's momentum to twist and guide her around so that Lilynette ends up in a very surprised heap on the ground.

The stranger walks over and prods her with one foot. "Are you okay?"

"I'm fine!" Lilynette snarls, scrabbling to her feet.

"Not burned?"

"Of course not!"

"And you?" the stranger turns and, to Starrk's shock, cups his cheek with one hand. He freezes at the contact, because no one's ever touched him other than Lilynette, as far as he can remember, and his other half tends to be fairly violent unless the aching loneliness becomes too strong again and she comes to curl up at his side like the pup she appears to be. "Does this hurt?"

"No." it's the first word he's spoken in awhile, and his voice comes out a little rusty.

The stranger beams again. "I knew it! My name is Hogyoku – will you be my friend?"

Starrk stares at her and considers pinching himself, because this sort of thing never happens when he's awake. Lilynette, however, is more vocal, as always. "Hey, don't ignore me!"

Hogyoku blinks and angles her body so she's facing the smaller arrancar more. "I wasn't ignoring you."

"You were talking to Starrk, trying to steal him from me!"

Hogyoku tilts her head to the side. "No, I asked if you wanted to be my friend, and I was addressing both halves of you. I did not realize you prefer to be addressed individually. After all, aren't the two of you the same person?"

 _That_ gets Starrk's other eye open, because even those hollows that managed to last a short time in their presence never figured out his connection with Lilynette, let alone their dual nature. "How did you know?" he asks, curious enough to sit up and pay proper attention for once.

Hogyoku smiles at him. "You have the same heart."

"Psh, stupid," Lilynette sneers, covering nerves with distain, "We're _hollows_ , we don't _have_ a heart!"

"You do," Hogyoku says, polite but firm, "You've just forgotten them." She droops a little at the thought. "This is a very sad place – I can hear dreams screaming all around me, begging to be heard, but no one else does, not even the dreams that are their own. And if I give them what they truly want, the balance will break – too may free at once…" she looks despondent for a moment, then brightens. "That's why I'm not listening to them at the moment! But I can still hear your dreams, because they echo mine – a friend we cannot hurt." She offers a hand to Starrk, the other to Lilynette. "Can we be friends?"

Starrk eyes her warily. She doesn't smell like a hollow, but she doesn't exactly smell like a shinigami, either, or a human, and her body language is completely fearless. And she is strong, showing no signs of pain or discomfort, when by this point even Vasto Lordes are usually dead from his and Lilynette's sheer spiritual pressure. And much as he treasures her, Lilynette is him, just as he is her, and they both want more than that… He reaches out and takes Hogyoku's hand. "Anything you ask, we will do."

"Anything within reason," Lilynette amends, shooting Starrk a dirty look as she takes Hogyoku's other hand.

Hogyoku beams at them. "This is enough for me."

Life changes after this. Hogyoku is not always there, but she comes often, sometimes to play with Lilynette, sometimes to curl up next to Starrk with quiet murmurings or comfortable silence. Lilynette shows her how to find the corpses of hollow lizards beneath the sands, though Hogyoku gives all she finds to the smaller girl. In exchange for these lessons, she teaches them both how to hide their great strength, so they do not automatically kill any who ventures within their presence, but she will not make them weaker, though she admits she could when Starrk asks her about it directly, and looks away when he asks why she won't.

"Because I have a heart now, too," she says quietly, "And that means sometimes I have desires and dreams of my own. You are the only ones I can touch who are not my master – this will not change. I cannot stop burning the way you stop crushing, only hide myself in cloth. So I ask you… please, indulge me a little, in this matter."

Starrk relents, because the lessons seem to be working – other hollows wander nearer and farther, though most keep their distance still. And when the lessons of hidden strength become superfluous, Hogyoku brings new ideas, new tricks that Lilynette loves. Starrk has the better memory for them, but the smaller arrancar is fascinated by the way a string of silly words and numbers mixed with a drop of reiatsu can result in fire dancing between her hands, or a barrier so the hollow lizards can't run away as she learns to hunt live ones, or all sorts of other things. She likes the fire ones best, though, loves the brightness and the colour they bring to the eternal black and silver of Hueco Mundo, how it dances and sparks and bites back if she pokes at it.

And Starrk must admit a secret fondness for the colour it brings even when his eyes are closed, warming the backs of his lids. He's changing, he realizes abruptly one eternal night. They both are. Lilynette is growing calmer with this new consistent source of outside stimulation. As for Starrk himself… Hogyoku does not request he open his eyes or stop lying about as he prefers to do so, but she does converse with him, make him think. It's somewhat irksome, to be honest, because at times he's beginning to find himself bored when she stays away too long. He hadn't realized that he craves stimulation as much as his other half does, simply in a different manner – mental as opposed to physical.

As for Hogyoku, she seems happy enough as long as she can get plenty of physical contact in, gentle brushes and pats and touches, utterly alien to the way most hollows seem to interact with each other, though wrestling with Lilynette is by no means off the agenda. And then, one night, she appears in her silent way, beaming, and grabs both their hands.

"Come on! I think it's a good time now – they're ready and you've learned enough and won't kill anyone by mistake now!"

And she pulls them into the vivid brightness of Soul Society, into the midst of a gaping circle of shinigami, waving and beaming as everyone else blinks.

"I nominate Coyote Starrk and Lilynette Gingerbuck as the new Co-Commanders of the Kido Corps!"

Things get shockingly interesting very quickly after that, what with Starrk and Lilynette both being somewhat overwhelmed by the maelstrom of colour and sound and smells that is this new world, along with the minor little issue of _WHAT DO YOU_ _ **MEAN**_ _THERE'S A LEVEL OF HOLLOW ABOVE VASTO LORDE AND WHY IN HEAVEN'S NAME WOULD YOU THINK BRINGING THEM HERE IS A GOOD IDEA AND WHAT THE HELL YOU CAN'T NOMINATE HOLLOWS FOR SHINIGAMI OFFICES, KUCHIKI, GET YOUR JEWEL IN ORDER!_ And then there's the matter of learning a new culture and somehow actually getting talked into taking this strange new job and Hogyoku admitting she wanted to be able to spend more time with them and apologizing for being sneaky and everyone working at convincing Lilynette that, no, really, clothes, please, and also, yes, she is the co-commander you want to talk to if you want something done this year, yes we know the other one looks more impressive and powerful, this one actually does stuff.

Even after the fuss has died down Starrk still doesn't get to nap as much as he'd like anymore, because suddenly he has responsibilities, ones Lilynette won't let him wriggle out of, and people who are absolutely terrified of him and everything he represents, but who are also doing their best to learn and are willing to try because Hogyoku asked them to. And then there's Kyoraku dropping by with sake, and Ukitake coming to discuss strategy and actually try and learn more about how hollows, and the little pink-haired girl who likes to tussle with Lilynette, and of course Hogyoku still dropping in to play and sneak naps with him, and sometimes it feels like the hole in his chest is shrinking, filled up with all these new experiences and new people… new friends. It's a strangely warm feeling, one he minds far less than he might have expected to.

Because, crazy and chaotic and strange as it is, there is one thing this new life if most definitively not, and that is lonely.

OoOoOoOoO

 _For those wondering about the red 'collar,' it's technically a leather choker these days, not the actual one from when Rukia nearly died, but Hogyoku always wears something fitted and red around its neck – a casual reminder to Soul Society about how it nearly done messed up BIG that one time._

 _Hogyoku didn't exactly go looking for Starrk – it set out with the intention 'someone I cannot burn by mistake,' and he's the one it found, with the added advantage that he joined the Espada AFTER Aizen left the Gotei 13 in the original storyline, so he hasn't been exposed to Mr. Manipulator in this universe. I don't know what will happen to the other Arrancar in this universe, but Starrk and Lilynette are the only two I can honestly see fitting into Soul Society as they are – they don't act like typical hollows, and I've always gotten the impression that their power is self-sustaining at this point, so they don't need to consume other souls. That is, of course, just my take on things, but I'm the writer, so! ;)_

 _But, yeah, Starrk's the one who fit here, which is why no Grimmjow, Ulquiora, Nel, or Harribel. Feel free to imagine whatever sort of destiny you like for them in this universe._

 _This is the last segment I wrote for this universe, and thus this little universe is complete with it. As for what would have happened had I continued… a more peaceful world, one that disregards all the future arcs in the manga and anime. Trust grows stronger, friendships develop, help is given and received. Tosen is found out and suitably punished for his plans and the help he gave Aizen. Something's done about Mayuri, too, because that guy shouldn't be in a position of power or running loose. This is my world of happy endings for Bleach, so, whatever the future holds for the characters here, it's probably going to be good. I hope you've enjoyed it, and thank-you for reading._

 _Note: If anyone would like to use any of the ideas in this story, I'm okay with it as long as you credit me as the source and maybe send me a message so I can take a look when the posting starts! ;) Thanks again!_


End file.
